After The Love Story
by fumitxl
Summary: Tamako Kitashirakawa and Mochizou Ooji have known each other since they were born; but now that they've both said the three words to each other, what will happen to their relationship? Takes place after Tamako Love Story.
1. The Beginning

_Author's Note: There used to be 5 chapters to this story, but I have recently decided to re-write it since it wasn't heading in the direction that I wanted to. This re-write of this chapter is similar to the original, but the rest will be completely new. I hope you look forward to it! _

* * *

Mochizou Ooji watched as the train approached the station. It would make a good shot, he noted absentmindedly. With the afternoon sun high in the sky, the light reflecting off the windows drew attention to each carriage as it came around the bend. The details grew finer as they head of the train entered the shade of the station. The smooth metal surface of the vehicle with its glossy advertisements on the side, all coming into focus for him.

The faces didn't escape him either. His eyes travelled down the windows. Some were anxious, some looked bored. He wondered where they were going. Did they travel from somewhere else to work here? Were they visiting family? How long would the commute be if they did this every day…

Would it be possible from Tokyo?

His hands gripped the straps on his bag tighter as the train doors hissed open. He vaguely registered his right foot inching forward towards the doors, but his mind was already elsewhere. At the moment, it was back at breakfast when he reminded his parents about his trip today. His mother had nodded and wished him good luck. As for his father-

"If you like Tokyo so much, why don't you go there forever? Hmmph, like I care!" He had grumbled.

Mochizou frowned. Despite what his father thought, he _wanted _this. Even if it meant he had to leave the place he grew up in for a place he'd only visited once in his life, or that he was abandoning his father's dreams of him succeeding the mochi store. _Even if_ it meant not being able to see her for months, and months…and months…

Her image popped easily into his mind. It didn't require any thinking, she was always there. Her beautiful smile, the way her bangs fell _just right_ on her forehead, the way her eyes would shine whenever she talked about mochi. He loved all of her, but now the image of her shocked face, speechless and sitting in the water, mingled with his other memories too.

Part of him still regretted ever revealing his true feelings to her. Maybe if he didn't, then she wouldn't be treating him so distantly now. They'd walk to school together as usual, share late night conversations over the paper cup telephone. Now she became a different person whenever they met. Her movements would stiffen and her eyes glaze over. Before this, he thought that part of her was only reserved for intimidating crowds, but apparently now it included him too.

His heart ached as another image popped into his mind. An old memory from their childhood: she was waving from a distance, running towards him as she called his name.

"Mochizou."

Right, just like that. He couldn't even remember the last time she said it—

"MOCHIZOU!"

_Wait, what?! _He whipped his head around, eyes widening.

One step away from leaving the platform, he stumbled backwards, earning a few surprised looks from the people behind him. His heart beat quickened. _It couldn't be… right? _He was too afraid to hope. But as the crowd of people cleared, his eyes landed on two mochi-shaped hair ties, and he swore at that moment, his heart had stopped.

He realised she must have run all the way there. Her bangs were stuck to her forehead with sweat, and her chest was heaving in desperate need for air. The cheerful smile he knew so well was replaced with a look of desperation, her eyes dotted with tears that threatened to spill over at any moment. He felt his heart tighten up like a fist.

"Tamako?" he heard himself ask. The platform was clearing rapidly, the train already preparing to leave.

"Wait," she shouted, "WAIT!"

He didn't think he could move even if he wanted to; his feet had gone numb in shock. He just stared at her as she ran towards him. "Tamako, why-", he began, but his voice caught at his throat as she hurled a flurry of sentences at him.

"Why… why Tokyo? It's so far. Tokyo is so far away," she said, her eyes shut tightly. "We were always together, why are we moving apart?" She continued, her voice on the verge of breaking. In the background, the train doors hissed shut and it began to depart from the station.

"Eh… But… Huh?" he stuttered. _Is this a dream?_, he thought dazedly. He slapped himself and pinched his own face, trying to wake up. But when he opened his eyes, she was still there. He could still see the beads of sweat that trailed down the sides of her face, hear the tension in her voice. "I haven't told you anything… I…" She looked down at the paper cup telephone she held in her hand. After taking a deep breath, she threw it to him.

On reflex, Mochizou caught the two ends of the paper cup telephone. His eyes narrowed perplexedly as he looked from the paper cups in his hands, and back to Tamako. _Both sides? What was he going to do with this? _He wondered.

Seeming to notice his confusion, her eyes widened and she started to do a nervous dance. "Ah, no, not that!" she managed.

Looking down at the cups again, he noticed that one had his name on it, the other, hers. His eyes widening in realisation, he took a deep breath of his own and reeled back his arm. In one quick movement, he threw her end towards her.

Jolted by his sudden action, Tamako began to move forwards and backwards, her arms stretched open to catch it. Everything seemed to slow down.

In his mind, Mochizou flashed back to the beginning of the year, a similar moment. He had intended to confess to her if she caught her end of the paper cup telephone. And he almost did that time, but his eyes had deceived him then. He should have known, the chances of Tamako actually catching her end was too sli—

A small clapping sound brought him back to reality. When he looked up, he saw the paper cup in her hands. At the same time, another train was pulling into the station. A look of determination came onto her face then. She lifted the cup to her mouth.

He stared at her, hesitantly lifting his end to his ear and closing his eyes, too afraid to expect anything from her next sentence.

There was a silence.

"Mochizou, I love you!" After a moment's hesitation, she added: "Over."

People began filing out of the train, crowding the station once again. Mochizou gasped, face flushed and eyes widening, while Tamako stood there, still with that look of resolve on her face.

_If this is a dream, even if this is a dream, it's… too much. _He clamped his hand over his mouth, barely able to contain himself as the happiness overtook him. He felt tears prick at the back of his eyes, hardly registering the girl who had begun inching towards him.

"M-m-mochizou?" she squeaked, all the bravery from a few minutes ago lost. When he looked up, he saw that she was crying. Her face was streaked with sweat and tears, and she was gripping her paper cup so tightly that her knuckles were turning white. But her lips were curved into a wobbly smile that told him everything was fine.

He felt the tears spilling out from his eyes then. On a sudden impulse, he closed the distance between them with a hug. Tamako began sobbing too, her tears falling like raindrops on his coat as he drew her in closer. _Tamako..._ he thought, feeling his own tears of happiness trailing down the sides of his face. _I love you too. _

* * *

Neither of them could remember how long they stood there in embrace. All they could remember was eventually breaking away, wiping away their last tears with bashful smiles. Mochizou had bought Tamako a drink from the vending machine, and then they sat together in the momentarily vacant platform. Occasionally, they would sneak glances at each other before turning away, blushing. Mostly, they kept quiet, the gentle silence punctuated by Tamako's slow sips.

He was the first one to break the silence. "I guess now I'll have to retake the entrance exam next week", he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

Tamako whipped her head around suddenly to stare at him, causing him to jump a little. "E-e-e-entrance exam? I thought you were already leaving for Tokyo?" she stuttered out.

"No, I'm only leaving after graduation. Today was just the entrance exam."

"B-but Midori-chan said you were going to Toky-", she suddenly cut herself off, her face turning a violent shade of red. Mochizou looked at her, a curious expression on his face until it dawned on him. His cheeks suddenly felt hot as well. There was a brief silence.

"I'm sorry I made you miss your entrance exam", she said quietly.

"It's alright, I'm kind of glad I missed it", he said shyly. He turned to look at her, only to realise she was looking at him as well. At that moment, a train arrived at the station, causing the two to break eye contact and look away, both their faces an even darker shade of red than before.

As more and more people began to file out of the train, Mochizou snuck another peek at his childhood friend. Not noticing his gaze, she absentmindedly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. The sweat and tears from before had already dried up. Even though she should be tired from running around, Mochizou could see that she was still on the edge by the way her eyes kept flitting to where their hands were placed, side by side and only an inch away from touching.

Suddenly, she turned to look at him, jumping a little when their eyes met. "M-mochizou!" She exclaimed. "I want to know wh— ah, nevermind." She stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks beginning to flush again. Tamako hurriedly turned her face away.

He cocked his head to the side. "What is it, Tamako?"

Tamako shook her head furiously in response. He watched her for awhile before decidedly placing his hand on hers. His eyes widened slightly when he found that her fingers were _cold_. It didn't occur to him before, but she was only dressed in her school uniform. The sweat after drying would have given her a chill. All of a sudden, he felt so selfish to be dressed as warm as he was.

Quietly, Mochizou scooted closer, closing the gap between them. Tamako let out a small yelp and turned to look at him. Her cheeks were still pink and her eyes were widened, but it didn't seem like she disliked it. He took that as a good sign and reached over to pull her closer. Her body stiffened up for awhile but soon relaxed against his, her breathing slowly becoming more peaceful.

"Feeling warmer?" Mochizou asked, smiling.

The only response he got was a flustered nod.

"So, what did you want to ask me?"

There was a silence before he heard her reply softly. "I just wanted to know... why Tokyo? I know you're not leaving _now_, but do you have to go so far away?"

Mochizou paused for awhile. "I guess... it's because I want to experience more things, beyond our town." Tamako suddenly looked up at him with a worried expression. "No, no. It's not that I don't love it here. I mean, this is where you are, and all." He blushed, causing a similar reaction from her. "I just… want to expand my horizons a little, and since the university in Tokyo is offering the exact course that I want, I just thought it would be great opportunity. I didn't want to have any regrets later on, that's all."

Tamako looked away. There was a silence before Mochizou heard her hesitant reply. "It… seems like everyone is thinking big except for me. Even Shiori is planning to go overseas to study. Before I know it, everyone will be leaving." Suddenly, she turned to him, her eyes glistening over again. "Is it wrong that I want everyone to stay here together?" She asked.

"Tamako…" Mochizou looked down at her. "It's not wrong. I also want to stay together with everyone. But sometimes, to get something you want, you have to give something else away."

Tamako didn't respond, only squeezed his hand even tighter. The two watched as the next train arrived, taking with it the remaining people at the station before departing once again. They were the only two people left now.

"Are you sure you won't leave me alone?" She said quietly.

"I promise I won't," he said, gripping her hand tightly. "And neither will Tokiwa, or the other two. Even if everyone is in different places, I'm sure that they'll be thinking of everyone else and wanting to meet up. So, don't worry, Tamako." He turned to her, wanting to give her a reassuring smile, only to realise a fraction too late how close their faces were in that position.

Suddenly, it became all too clear to him; the smell of her shampoo, the gentle pressure of her hand on his, the way her teeth grazed against her bottom lip… His face began to steam. He jumped away from her, his hands gripping the sides of the bench desperately while he caught his breath.

"Mochizou?" Tamako scooched closer, her face showed an expression of worry. "Are you okay? Your face is very red—" Mochizou looked up, his face inches away from hers.

Tamako's eyes widened as he locked eyes with her, a heavy blush appearing on her face. "M-Mochizou…?!" She squeaked.

He gulped, his hand tightening his grip on the edge of the seat. "Tamako..." he murmured.

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash. The two jumped back and turned their heads to the source of the sound. An elderly lady was on her knees, scrambling for the bags of groceries that she had dropped. "Oh no, I'm going to be late." She said worriedly. Her hands trembled as she reached out for the nearest bag.

The two automatically jumped up from their seats, avoiding each other's gaze. Mochizou grabbed the bag nearest to him, while Tamako ran to support the old lady. "Oba-san, are you alright?" She asked. The lady nodded wearily. "Where are you going? We'll help you carry your things there." Mochizou offered, already holding a few bags in each hand.

"Thank you, dears, but I'll be fine. I'm just getting onto the next train." The old lady steadied herself before smiling gently at the two teenagers. "It's comforting enough to know that there are kind souls like you who would help a clumsy old lady like me."

"It was our pleasure—", Mochizou begun.

"No, it's my fault for interrupting you two just now." The lady cut in. "I must say, you two make a great couple." She said, beaming up to them.

Mochizou and Tamako locked eyes for a second before turning away shyly. "W-we're not r-really—" Tamako began.

"Young love sure is great. I still remember when _my _husband and I first started dating." She continued obliviously.

"We just only— I don't kno—" Mochizou mumbled, scratching his head.

"Oh, I've got just the perfect thing!" The old lady exclaimed suddenly, interrupting them again. She rummaged through her purse before reaching out to Tamako. "Here. The shopkeeper gave me this earlier as a lottery price, but I think it would suit you two more. Think of it as a token of my appreciation." She winked.

The two of them began protesting, but their voices were soon overpowered by the overhead voice announcing that the next train was arriving. The old lady looked towards the tracks, but not before determinedly placing her gift into Tamako's hands. "Take it. You can't deny an old lady's blessing, it's bad luck!" She said cheekily. Turning to Mochizou, she smiled again.

"That's my train. I'd hate to trouble you some more, but do you think you could help me once more?" She asked.

He nodded, still flustered from her previous assumption.

After helping her safely board the train, the old lady mouthed another "thank you" while waving, her gentle smile still visible even after the train began to depart. Once the station was left vacant once again, Mochizou turned behind. Tamako was standing there, looking intently at the objects in her hands. He approached her silently, leaning over to see what they were.

The objects turned out to be two round orbs. They were the lightest shade of pink and blue, and glistened gently in the sun as Tamako shifted her hands from side to side. After looking awhile longer, Mochizou could see the pink one had an image of a girl on it, and the other, a boy. "What are those, Tamako?" He asked next to her ear.

She jumped backwards in shock, almost losing her balance before he reached out to steady her. "Mochizou! Don't scare me like that!" She exclaimed as she leaned against his arm, puffing her cheeks indignantly. Much to her exasperation, he began to laugh. When he didn't stop, Tamako hit his arm. "What's so funny?" She pouted. But the longer she watched him, the harder she found it to keep up her angry facade. Soon, she found herself just as unable to stop laughing as he was.

When the laughter finally died off, Mochizou looked to his childhood friend. Panting heavily, he managed to point to her hand, waiting for the answer to his previous question. Just as breathlessly, Tamako opened her palm and picked out the blue orb, placing it in his own. "It's a bead." She said in-between breaths.

Mochizou eyed the round orb between his fingers. Now that he had it closer, he saw that the boy in the bead looked surprisingly like him. "We're meant to wear these, right?" He asked.

"The oba-san said it was for c-couples." Tamako stuttered, her cheeks pink.

Mochizou blushed. "Well, I guess we are... Um, what I meant to say is..." He mumbled, scratching his head shyly. There was a silence. He turned to look at Tamako, only to realise that she was looking at him too. They instantly turned away from each other, their faces even redder than before. "Um, so, should we go home now?" He asked nervously, moving his hand towards her. His other hand gripped the bead in his palm tightly.

His heart jolted when he felt a gentle pressure on his fingers. Looking up, he saw an extremely red-faced Tamako holding his hand. "Okay." she mumbled, a small smile playing on the edge of her lips.

A smile instantly spread across his face, making her blush even harder. "Mm! Let's go home." He said.

* * *

After eventually parting ways with Tamako, Mochizou took a tentative step into his family's store. He knew what kind of trouble he was going to get into. His best bet now was just to rush off to his room and hope it would be forgotten by dinner time. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he had a lot of luck left in his reserves. The minute he stepped through the door, he was ambushed by his mother.

"Mochizou, how did the entrance exam go?" she asked, popping her head out from the back of the store. As she moved to block the only route to his room, he cursed inwardly.

"I… I didn't take it." he mumbled, avoiding her gaze.

"What? Why not?"

"I, uh, missed my train", he replied, scratching his head nervously.

"I bet it was the guilt of leaving your old man behind, wasn't it?" his dad suddenly exclaimed loudly, waltzing out from the back to put his arm around his dutiful son.

"Dad, I'm still going to Tokyo. I'll just take the entrance exam next week." Mochizou protested, wiggling out of his father's embrace and past his mother. _Now if I can just make it to my room... _

Still, it appeared that his luck was really out. Before he could even make it past a few steps, his mother piped up again. "But why did you miss the train?" She asked.

This time, Mochizou couldn't help it. His mind immediately wound back to the moment when he first heard her call his name. Finally hearing her say the words he'd always wanted to hear, being able to hug her and hold her hand, seeing her adorable blushing face... He shook his head, feeling his body temperature rising at each thought.

Meanwhile, his parents observed their only son, who had stopped in the middle of the staircase to blush, of all things. "Did it have anything to do with Tamako?" his mother asked slyly. She looked amusedly at her son, whose face turned an even darker shade at the mention of their neighbour's name.

"T-t-t-tamako?! What does t-tama— I mean, trains! What would t-trains have to do with Tamako?!" He exclaimed, before clasping both hands across his mouth in horror.

While his mother was obviously stifling her laughter in the background, his father took the pleasure of replying him. "Hmm," He stroke his chin as if in deep thought. "What _would _Tamako-chan have to do with trains? I don't suppose _you_ would know, dear?" He directed the question to his wife.

Mochizou's mother cleared her throat. "Well, she _did _come over this morning to retrieve their paper cup telephone that _she and your son_ share." she explained, as slowly and clearly as possible to her husband. "_Hmm_, I wonder what she did with it." She wondered out loud, but not before shooting her son a devious look.

"Ah, _I see_." Her husband responded in the exact same tone. "Any ideas, son?"

With both his parents giving him the eye, Mochizou finally felt like he'd reached his boiling point. "I-I-I wouldn't know!" He managed to stutter out, before bolting the rest of the way to his room, where his parents wouldn't be able to intrude.

After slamming the door behind him, he slid to the floor, panting. Things were _not _going to be easy from now onwards.

* * *

_Note: Welcome to my first multi-chapter fic! I decided I __had__ to write this after watching Tamako Love Story (and after that, it took another 10 times watching the ending to be able to write it out). But it's official - Tamako and Mochizou are too cute together! There weren't enough fanfics to satisfy my needs, so I decided to write my own. I hope you like it!_

_Update: How did you like my rewrite? I know I've been testing your patience a lot, but I promise I will be uploading a lot more chapters after my exams end in the middle of June. Till then! _


	2. In Her Eyes

The bell atop _Tama-ya_'s entrance jingled as Tamako walked in. Her grandfather looked up from his newspaper and smiled. "Welcome home, how was your—", he stopped mid-sentence. His eyes followed her back in confusion as she walked past him, her head not even turning to glance in his direction.

As she walked by the kitchen, her father too had heard her come in. "Tamako, welcome home!" he yelled, peeping his head out from behind the curtains. "I'm preparing the leftover mochi for dessert, are you free to help?"

It took awhile before she stopped in front of him, her facial expression blank as she tilted her head to one side. "What did you say about Mochizou?" She asked.

Her father's eyes narrowed. Not that name again. "No, Tamako. Mochi." He repeated, gesturing at the fluffy sweets in front of him.

He watched his daughter blink a few times. "...Right. I'll help you, dad." She said, pausing awhile before smiling.

Her father sighed, shaking his head as she followed him back into the kitchen. Tamako resembled her mother so much, he sometimes wondered where his share of genes had disappeared to.

He watched as she put on her apron and picked up a lump of mochi. The gentle way she smiled and her love for the dessert. Even the way she worked – sleeves rolled up and hair pushed back – often reminded him of his wife. Although it had been so long since then, he still felt…

Just then, her grandfather popped his head through the curtains, causing her father to turn and look at the elder. The former flashed a confused look before gesturing at her.

_Something wrong with Tamako_? Her father interpreted, turning to look back at the girl. Her head was bent down so he couldn't see her face, although it seemed like she was working hard as her fingers were moving steadily. He turned back to his father, frowning in confusion.

The elder shook his head and pointed at her hands.

Tamako's father turned back once more, but this time his eyebrows tensed into a frown. Although her fingers were moving, they were clearly pressing into the mochi with more pressure than the delicate dessert could take. It was a common beginner's mistake, but his daughter was no beginner.

"Tamako, are you okay?" He asked, cocking one eyebrow.

"Mm, yeah." She mumbled.

Right after his question, her fingers began pushing into the soft mochi harder and harder. He winced before looking back at his father, whose face showed nothing but worry.

"Are you sure?" He asked again, slower this time. "Your mochi..."

Tamako froze. "What?"

"Your mochi. It's getting crushe—" He continued.

"Y-you knew? About my c-crush—?" She stuttered out.

Perplexed, he pointed at the lump of paste in her hands. "Look for yourself, Tamako. You should know better than that."

A few seconds of silence passed before Tamako's eyes slowly drifted down to the mochi in her palms. She jumped slightly, as if her eyes were deceiving her then exhaled loudly.

"S-so you were talking about this?" She looked up for confirmation.

Her father, whom had since grown tired of her antics, cocked his eyebrow sarcastically. "Well, what else did you think I was talking about?" He asked.

"I thought… Well, actually…" She mumbled. Her eyes turned downwards again. Her fingers automatically pressed into the mochi, making indents in the paste with her fingernails.

Her father looked on exasperatedly. He could hardly stand this anymore.

Just as he was about to offer his two pence about it, he suddenly felt a light pressure on his shoulder. He looked behind to see the older man smiling, a sudden change from his worried expression earlier.

"Why don't you go rest before dinner, Tamako?" Her grandfather said gently. "I'm sure it's been a long day."

"But—" Her father protested, only to be quickly shushed by the older gentleman.

"I'm sure Tamako just needs some rest, Mamedai." He said gently. "Go, Tamako. I can help out here." He said, walking over to the rack where his own apron hung.

She opened her mouth as if to protest, but her grandfather shook his head gently. Silently, she placed the mochi onto the counter and was about to walk out of the kitchen, when she was stopped once again.

"You're still wearing your apron, Tamako." Mamedai piped up, this time unable to resist himself.

She looked down at herself before sheepishly removing the article. "Sorry." She said with her head bowed. Before any of them could respond, she scurried out of the kitchen, her twin tails flying out behind her.

Although they were now alone, the two men stayed silent, listening to her footsteps become softer and softer until it was finally followed by the familiar thud of her room door closing. Instantly, her father let out a loud sigh.

"Why'd you go and do that? She has her responsibilities." He grumbled, picking up the sad excuse for a mochi she had left behind.

The older Kitashirakawa walked over to place a hand on his son's back. "You know that Tamako is usually very responsible. She could use a break." He said, smiling gently.

Mamedai turned around. "You seem oddly reassured for someone who was so worried earlier." He pointed out.

"Well, let's just say that I realised something… and that she'll be okay by dinner time. Don't worry about it." The elderly man flashed another smile at his son. He moved towards the counter, picking up where she left off. "Here, at least you have me."

"I didn't want—" The latter began. His father looked up at him, waiting for his reply. After a moment's silence, he finally gave up.

"Fine. If it is like you say, then she's probably fine." He concluded, tossing aside her mochi. "But you better not be hiding anything from me again…." He warned, shooting his father a glance.

The old man simply smiled. "I'm sure all will come to light in time. For now, we should just accept things as they are." He concluded sagely.

Mamedai grunted.

"You should try that once in awhile, you know?" The elder added teasingly. The corners of his eyes crinkled into a smile.

His son averted his eyes, beginning work on the last batch of mochi. "…Whatever." He muttered.

* * *

Up in her room, Tamako clutched her pillow tightly to her chest. Her heart was still beating a million times per minute, serving as a reminder to her that it had all actually happened. It was not a dream. She had really, truly confessed. And now, she and Mochizou were…

She buried her head into the pillow and let out a muffled scream, but it didn't help clear her brain at all. The image of his shocked, blushing face popped into her mind and she clutched her pillow even harder.

She could still feel the sensation of his arms wrapping around her body, the warmth that quickly followed and overpowered her every other sense. If she closed her eyes tightly enough, she could still remember the smell of his freshly washed jacket that she had shamelessly wept into, the slight tickle in her ear when he whispered into it, and the warmth in her palms where their hands were just linked.

It was driving her heart insane. Is this what it was like to love someone?

Tamako curled into fetal position in attempt to calm herself down. It was just Mochizou. She'd known him her entire life. Their relationship was just… different now, that's all. Hadn't she learnt to accept that already?

All those months she had spent in a daze, replaying the moment when Mochizou confessed to her over and over in her mind like a broken record. The feelings that attacked her every single time she bumped into him, saw him from a distance, or even hear someone say his name … she knew what all of that meant now.

And it had taken her so long to realise, too. She thought she knew about love. Her parents were in love, she loved everyone in the shopping district, and Dela used to talk about it all the time. But how could she have never realised that she loved Mochizou?

Tamako frowned. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure when she _did _realise.

Maybe it was when her grandfather collapsed and she sought more comfort in his face than anybody else's.

Or maybe when she heard her mother's singing for the first time since she passed away.

Or it could have been as early as Midori telling her to give him an answer. She still wasn't sure about that. Even now, everything was still a blur.

It was only in that moment at the train station that things suddenly became clear. The determination that rushed into her must have been stored up for months, but it did help her find out what she wanted. She knew, at that moment, that Mochizou was important and that she couldn't lose him. Her hands and lips had just moved by themselves.

"_I love you. Over._" Her memory played back the echo of her voice, taunting her.

Tamako cheeks heated up. She didn't think it would be that embarrassing, but the way he responded completed it. His face was just… the way he pulled her in… and how they held hands…

"Mmmphgh" she groaned, burying her head into her pillow again. If she didn't stop thinking about it, she wouldn't even be able to see him face-to-face anymore. Frustrated, Tamako rolled over, the pillow still pressed up against her face. That was when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her side.

"Ow!" she yelped. With a thump, she rolled over onto her back again. "What was tha–" she mumbled. Her nearest arm felt down her side to find out what had caused the damage, only to bring up the two things she had almost forgotten about.

She rolled over onto her stomach, safely this time, to inspect them. Two glass beads, one pink one blue, glistened gently as she held it against the light. The gifts from the oba-san they had helped.

Now that she had the time to look at them properly, she noticed that the pink one had a simple drawing of a girl on it while the blue one had a boy. Both characters' arms were outstretched like they wanted to give each other a hug. They were almost like her and Mochizou, she thought absentmindedly. That was probably what the oba-san had meant, even though she was just guessing.

Tamako twirled the beads between her fingers, watching as the lights twinkled pink and blue in turn. Well, the old lady wasn't _wrong_…

She placed the beads on the side of her bed and leaned out of her bed slightly. From there, her eyes could easily see over the edge of her window. Her heartbeat began to quicken when she spotted Mochizou pacing his room. She leaned further off the bed. His hands were knotted in his hair and his lips were moving slightly.

Was he talking to himself? She wondered, a small giggle slipping out of her mouth the same time as her sister barged into the room.

"Nee-chan! Father wants help with dinner!" Anko yelled.

Tamako let out a small yelp before tumbling right off her bed. In her shock, she hardly registered the two small clinks that followed after her. "Ouch…" she muttered, rubbing her side. That was her second time that day.

Her sister's head popped through the curtains. "You haven't changed? You've been home for so long already," she said, her eyebrows raised.

Tamako blushed hard before replying her sister. "I'll change now. Tell father I'll be down soon." She said, lifting herself off the ground. While gathering her clothes, she briefly wondered if her sister suspected anything, but quickly dismissed it.

"She's only ten years old, she couldn't know." Tamako thought, shaking her head.

If only she had looked behind before leaving the room, she would have seen Anko bending to the ground. Her eyes watched her sister's back as she reached into her pocket.

_Clink_.

* * *

_Author's Note: Thanks for all the nice feedback on Chapter One! Sorry it took literal months for me to finish this chapter. I have been so busy with university and running my website, my schedule is crazy. Unfortunately, it probably won't let up any time soon, but I will still continue writing. I intend to see this story to the end, so please don't worry about that. Meanwhile, why not leave me a review on the parts that you liked or didn't like about this chapter, and what you'd like to see more of in future! I haven't planned __everything__ out yet, so I may write some of your desires! Til the next chapter (hearts)_


	3. Side Story (1)

_A/N: The other chapters are currently in the process of being rewritten, but here's an omake!_

_Disclaimer: This chapter (omake) does not operate on the same timeline as the main story._

* * *

"When did you first realise you liked Kitashirakawa-san?"

Mochizou blinked a little before scratching the back of his head in habit. "What kind of question is that?" He mumbled.

"C'mon, Mochizou. You're always talking about her, just say something." Momotarou urged from behind the camera while Inuyama nodded in the background.

"This is different. I can't say it, not on film." Mochizou protested. "It's so embarrassing. Plus, it was such a long time ago…"

"A long time ago?" Momo pressed on.

Mochizou shot a glare at him. "I'm not falling for that." He said, before letting out a large sigh. "Do you really need this footage?"

Momotarou nodded enthusiastically while Inuyama turned the lock on the only exit. "You devils." Mochizou muttered dryly.

Momo smiled. "I think I can take pride in that statement." Sitting back on his director's stool, he repeated the question once again. "So, Mochizou, when did you first realise you liked Kitashirakawa-san?"

Mochizou sighed again. "Well, it first began when…"

* * *

The young child shook his head, shaking the light brown hair out of his eyes. His two hands clutched the straps on his red backpack while he whistled a cheerful tune._ It's coming_, he thought, a large smile beginning to form on his lips. _October 10__th_ _is coming!_

For as long as he could remember, Mochizou's birthday had always been overshadowed by Mochi Day. His parents would cook his favourites for breakfast, but the rest of the day would be all about mochi; his father making competition with the neighbours outside the shop while his mother prepared the ingredients indoors. And every year, they'd always be too tired at the end of the day to have a proper celebration.

But this year was going to be different.

That was because this year, Mochizou was turning 10; and not on just any day – on the 10th day of the 10th month of the year. His parents had _promised _they would have a big celebration. And that meant, for once, it wouldn't just be Mochi Day, it would be Mochi_zou _Day. The young boy twirled around on his heel, a small burst of laughter escaping from his lips as he thought about the possibilities.

"…Mochizou?" A small voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

Little Mochi stumbled mid-spin and lost his balance. Before he realised it, he was sitting on the ground, staring up at his twin-tailed neighbour.

"Tamako!" He blinked a few times before exclaiming. "What took you so long?"

The little girl touched the edge of her glasses nervously. "I was—"

"Hey, where's your mother, Tamako?" Mochizou interrupted, popping his head out on either side of his childhood friend.

"Uh, my mother wasn't feeling very well this morning so she couldn't come see me off." Tamako said quietly as Mochizou pushed himself off the ground.

"Isn't this the third time this has happened?" He eyed her curiously, but Tamako avoided his gaze, the grip on her school bag getting tighter and tighter. There was a silence. Mochizou opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again when she began to reply.

"My father said she will be fine, so it won't happen again." Tamako said quietly.

Mochizou stared at her for awhile before decidedly poking one of her mochi-shaped hair ties. "Mochi girl." He announced.

Tamako blinked. "Wh-what did you call me?!" She yelped.

Mochizou winced at the shrillness of her voice before repeating himself. "I said, mochi girl. You're a girl, you live in a mochi shop, and you like mochi. Look, even your hair bands look like mochi." He said, smirking as he poked it again.

Tamako's face began to turn slightly red. "B-but you also live in a mochi shop!" She protested.

"So?" Mochi teased.

"And don't you like mochi?"

"Not as much as you…" He shrugged. "…mochi girl." He added, giggling.

"Don't call me that!" Tamako puffed her cheeks.

"Mochi girl!" He teased, this time skipping ahead of her. Frustrated, she began to chase after him. Mochizou giggled mischievously. Tamako was so easy to tease—

"Mochi boy!" She yelled from behind him.

Mochizou stumbled in his steps, falling face first onto the sidewalk. For the second time that day, he found himself staring up at her twin tails. "H-hey, what did you call me?!" He yelled.

"It's because your name begins with Mochi…" She said, with more hesitance than her exclamation had given credence to. Still, he noticed a small smile beginning to tug at the edges of her lips. Letting out a small sigh, Mochizou pushed himself off the ground again so that they were at eye level with each other.

"Fine. I won't call you mochi girl anymore, but you have to stop calling me mochi boy too." He offered, crossing his arms.

"But your name has the word mochi—" Tamako began.

"Mochi_zou_. Then you should call me Mochizou."

"But I was already calling you Mochizou."

"Now you can _only _call me Mochizou."

There was a silence as Tamako seemed to contemplate his statement. After awhile, she found her response. "I can't call you Mochi?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"Uh, Mochi-kun?"

"Definitely not!" He exclaimed, making an X with his hands.

"What about Ooji-kun?"

"You've been calling me Mochizou since we were born, Tamako." He commented dryly.

"Ooji-san?"

"Am I being downgraded in friendship ranks?!"

"Mochi-san?"

"Adding a '-san' doesn't change anything!" Mochizou raised his pinky finger in frustration. "C'mon, do we have a deal or not?"

He thought Tamako would agree, or in the worst case scenario, refuse. But he didn't expect her to burst out laughing. Mochizou blinked dazedly. "Wha—" He began, but was swiftly interrupted.

"Your face, it's so red!"

He immediately covered both cheeks with his palms. "T-that's not funny!" He protested, but Tamako continued giggling. Frustrated, Mochizou began to walk away in the direction of their elementary school. It took awhile, but he began to hear another pair of footsteps join his own.

"Wait…" She was panting. "Wait for me, Mochizou!"

Despite himself, he slowed his pace. When he eventually turned around to look for his childhood friend, he found instead a pinky finger being held right in front of his face. "I'll only call you Mochizou from now onwards, I promise." She said as soon as she caught her breath. The young boy eyed his friend before wrapping his own pinky tightly around hers.

"And I won't call you mochi girl anymore either... I promise." He said. "Though I guess I could call you Tama-chan instead." He added cheekily.

Tamako whipped her head up to glare at him. "Definitely not!" She exclaimed, her face turning a bright shade of pink.

This time, it was Mochizou who burst into a fit of laughter. Not too long later, he heard Tamako's lighter giggles joining his own, and he breathed an inward sigh of relief. "You look much nicer smiling, Tamako." He thought.

"What did you say, Mochizou?" She asked, cocking her head to one side curiously.

His eyes widened in realisation. _Did I just say that out loud?_ He scratched his head and looked away. "N-nothing, it was nothing." He stuttered. "Let's go to school, Tamako."

The mochi girl nodded her head happily and the two continued their journey to school, albeit one of them a bit more bashful than usual; not that Tamako noticed that. After all, she had never been known for noticing things. And for the first out of the would-be many times in his life, Mochizou was thankful for that fact.

* * *

"So, was that your big moment? The time you realised that you like – or at this point, I should say _love_ – Kitashirakawa-san?" Momotarou interjected excitedly. In the background, the camera turned off with a click.

Mochizou, who had a dopey smile on his face, suddenly snapped back into reality. He stared blankly at his friend for a few seconds before responding slowly. "No, that wasn't it." He said.

"Huh, are you serious?" Momo couldn't help but exclaim. "But it was all there, the emotional origin, the first unintentional pang of affection, that bashful feeling! In film school terms, that was _the_ moment."

"This isn't film school, dude." Mochizou remarked dryly. "Plus, I know what you asked. You asked me when I first _realised_ that I liked Tamako, and I hadn't realised yet, at the time." If Mochi and Inuyama could see beyond his curtain of hair, they would have seen Momo cocking one eyebrow at his friend.

"Then when did it happen?" Inuyama asked.

"Hold your horses, I'll get there..." Mochizou stretched in his chair. Sighing happily at the sound of his bones cracking, he settled down in a more comfortable position. "Eventually, that is." He added.

Momotarou and Inuyama looked at each other and groaned.

Mochizou smirked. "For the record, you two wanted me to do this. I'm ready whenever you are."

"You devil." Momotarou repeated him from earlier.

"I think I can take pride in tha—" Mochizou began, but was instantly cut off.

"Camera rolling in 3… 2… 1…"

* * *

_Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the lack of updates in the past few months. The starting of the new year has been crazy for me. I was working, then I started university, so I didn't have (and still don't have) any time to write. Don't worry though. I do plan to see to the end of this series. I just hope you can bear with my slow update pace, especially in the next few months._

_Not just because I'm busy, but because I'm planning to rewrite all the previous chapters that I've already uploaded. The story just didn't have enough direction imo, so I want to change some things to make it more exciting for you to read and also for me to write! _

_I also intend to continue posting these types of chapters once in awhile as a way to flashback to Mochizou and Tamako's development during their childhood. They will join back up to the main story in the end, but that won't happen for a very long time. I'm open for any guesses or suggestions for future chapters!_

_P.S. Thank you for all the reviews, favourites and follows even during my inactive stages. They really motivated me to get back to writing!_


	4. A New Day

_Beep… _

_beep… _

_beep… _

Tamako's eyebrow twitched as she snuggled deeper into her blankets. Her sister groaned from the other side of the curtain. Just a bit more…

_Beep… _

_beep… _

_beep… _

_beep… _

_click. _

A brief silence filled the air and her body sighed in relief. She could hear shuffling noises coming from the other side of the room, a gentle tapping that just barely went noticed. "I'll be using the toilet first, onee-chan", her sister called out.

"Mm." She replied, turning to another position. Then the door opened. Sounds from downstairs broke her moment of peace; a faint pounding, the kitchen timer going off, bits of morning conversation. Then the door clicked shut, returning her to a state of silence.

_Okay, okay. Time to wake up. _

Tamako slowly pulled herself into sitting position. She yawned, wiping the tears from her eyes as she hesitantly reached her foot off the bed. She shivered as it made contact with the cool wooden floor, but bore through it, footstep by footstep until she could draw back the curtains and push open her windows.

The morning light hit her as suddenly as always. It took awhile for her senses to adjust.

First, it was the wind brushing gently against her cheeks, some tendrils from her bed head shifting slightly in the breeze. She could hear the chatter of the shopkeepers down the road, see them in the distance; the clattering noises they made as they prepared for another day of work, and the sounds of cars humming along in the distance.

The air today smelt damp, as it was yesterday and the day before. It told her that the seasons were changing, and soon, it would be winter. She would have to bring out her mufflers and coats, and the shop would have to make preparations for Christmas. _Would the shopping district have another event?_ she wondered. Maybe her father would let her make snowflake-shaped mochi for it. They could be mint flavoured! Or maybe, chocolate mint?

Tamako lips curved into a smile as her mind drifted off into the endless possibilities. But eventually, her eyes rested onto the view in front of her.

The room was still dark.

Well, he was never a morning person. In fact, now that she thought about it, even his natural hair style looked like he always had bed head. The image of it instantly popped into her head, giving her a strange, tingly feeling in her stomach. And even though no one was there, she smiled embarrassedly.

Only a few times had he ever woken up earlier than her. Most of the time it was for club activities, and sometimes when he had to manage the store. But in the past few months, he had woken up earlier to catch her before she left for school, and he almost did once. She had still managed to slip by, though, because she hadn't wanted to see him…

She felt a sudden pang of guilt. Tamako shook her head furiously.

That was in the past. Today was a new day… and she should be getting ready for it. She could already hear her father downstairs, closing the oven with a bang as another batch of mochi went in. Her joints had long lost its morning numbness, and it sounded like Anko was done with the bathroom too.

_Yosh, time to go—_

But as she began to move away from the window, a familiar clacking noise halted her in her steps.

Mochizou yawned as he pulled open his shutters. His hair was sticking out in all sorts of weird angles, countering Tamako's initial thoughts about his bed head.

She found herself mesmerised, watching him as he scratched the back of his head, his eyes still practically closed shut. She wondered if she should call out to him or wait for him to see her, but before she had the time to make that decision, he was already looking back at her.

They both jumped slightly as their eyes made contact.

Mochizou was the first one to move, waving shyly and mouthing "Ohaiyo" to her. She mirrored his actions, a small wave of happiness washing over her entire body.

Seeing him in the morning… it was nothing new, and yet, it felt so exciting, and different. A good kind of different, Tamako decided, the smile on her face widening.

The two stood there, half not wanting to leave and half not knowing how to, until she heard the clicking sound of her door opening.

"Your turn, onee-chan", Anko called out.

Tamako looked at the curtain, then Mochizou, her fingers making fumbled gestures. Somehow, he understood, waving as he left the window.

"Onee-chan, are you awake?"

Tamako jumped. Her sister had already pulled back the curtain and was staring at her. "It's your turn", she repeated.

"I-I heard you the first time. Anyway, what's for breakfast today?" Tamako asked, changing the topic in a way that she hoped came across as natural.

"Eggs." Anko replied, grabbing her hair tie before heading towards the door way again. "Come down soon, they've already begun the fourth batch."

"Okay!"

After her sister left, Tamako breathed a sigh of relief. She looked outside her window again, but he was already gone. _Well_, she thought_, it's time to begin the day. _

She left the room with a slight spring in her step and a smile on her lips.

* * *

Mochizou wondered what he ever did to get this lucky. Here he was, eagerly waiting outside his family store to walk to school with Tamako and Anko, something he thought he'd never get to do again.

It was hard to imagine that only two days ago, he had thought that they'd never speak to each other anymore. He had even contemplated giving up on her. But look at where _those _thoughts led him.

He bit his lip, trying to suppress a grin.

It was almost ridiculous, how excited he was over an action so familiar. _You have to put yourself together, Ooji!_, he thought, slapping his cheeks repeatedly.

At that moment, Anko exited the building with Tamako following closely behind. "Good morning, Mochi," the younger sibling said, raising her hand in greeting. Tamako repeated the greeting with a smile, albeit slightly nervously.

Mochizou hastily removed his hands from his face."Good morning!" He exclaimed, smiling. Shall we go?"

* * *

The walk to school was peaceful. Mochizou trailed behind the two sisters as they talked about winter coming and holiday-themed mochi. As expected, it wouldn't be a conversation with Tamako if it didn't come up at least once.

When Anko finally went off the path to her school and they found themselves alone, conversation shifted to club activities and shopping district events. It all sounded normal at face value, but Mochizou noticed the differences.

Her cheeks were redder than they should be, and the way she walked seemed livelier. She kept fidgeting with her hands too. That is, until he took one in his and caused her to jump a little.

She didn't seem to dislike it, though. After all, she never shook his hand away.

When they finally reached the school gates, he almost didn't want to let go. The way she looked at him seemed like she was thinking the same. But after a few girls giggled as they walked by, they jumped apart from each other.

"Um, I-I'll see you later, Mochizou!" Tamako stammered out.

He only managed to nod bashfully before they parted ways, him heading to the club room before class began, her probably to meet Tokiwa and the gang. He wondered briefly if they were going to talk about yesterday's events.

He scratched his cheek sheepishly.

Not like he was one to talk. He knew only interrogation existed beyond those club room walls. It didn't matter whether he decided to tell them or not, they would weasel out the truth eventually. And as it often was, Mochizou was right.

"You know, you look kind of different today." Momotarou commented, leaning back against his chair.

"Yeah, you have this _glow_ about you." Inuyama added on, his eyes narrowing.

Mochizou touched his ear nervously, his eyes avoiding their gaze.

"You know," Momo began, offhandedly, "the last time he looked like that was before he decided to tell Kitashirakawa-san…" He stopped mid-sentence in sudden realisation. He turned to stare at Inuyama, his smile growing devious. "Ohoho, you don't think…?"

Inuyama adjusted his spectacles and leaned forward, a similar smile appearing on his own face. "Actually, Momo, I _do _think so."

Mochizou gulped.

They both looked at him, a mixture of mischief and delight spelled out on their faces, before they asked in unison: "What happened?"

While in his mind, he wanted to hide away in embarrassment, a small smile immediately popped up onto his face. He scratched the side of his head, trying to think of a good way to word it. "Well, uh, yesterday…"

The two leaned forward in anticipation.

"…I was about to board the train for my entrance exam, right?"

They nodded.

"Uh, turns out I didn't get to go because," Mochizou looked away, "Well, how do I put this…"

"C'mon, Ooji, just spit it out already!" Momo yelled.

"Okay, okay. She confessed to me!" Mochizou blurted out, his face slowly turning scarlet as he was reminded of it. "She returned my feelings – I still can't believe it – and now we're… we're actually…" He clapped his hand over his mouth, feeling his emotions beginning to take over again.

His friends looked at each other for a moment, slack jawed, before it finally began to sink in.

"You mean, you and Kitashirakawa-san-" Momotarou began.

"Y-y-you're dating her now!" Inuyama interrupted, his cheeks tinged with red.

The two of them erupted in sounds of celebration, rushing forward to pat him on the back.

"Congratulations, Mochizou!" Inuyama exclaimed, grabbing Mochizou by the shoulders. "I-I mean, your lifelong dream… it's happened!"

"Oh man, it doesn't seem real…" Momo added on, shaking his head with a grin on his face.

Mochizou buried his face in his hands, not giving a response. His friends quieted down, exchanged concerned glances before Momo broke the silence.

"Dude, are you crying?" He asked, his voice a mix of concern and amusement.

Mochizou immediately whipped his head upwards. "No!" he protested. "It was just—" he halted, feeling a few tears spill from his eyes.

His two friends stared at him unblinkingly. "Mochi—" Inuyama began.

Mochizou looked away, brushing the tears away roughly. "I-It still hasn't fully settled in yet, okay?" he muttered gruffly, "And you two aren't helping".

His two friends glanced at each other before breaking into peals of laughter. Looking at them, a smile began to make a way to his lips, and soon, he found himself joining in.

He shook his head, laughing. _What am I going to do with these people?_

* * *

_Author's Note: Thank you for all the nice reviews and new followers while I was gone! I'm sorry I'm always so late to update, but I finally churned something out... even though it's a bit shorter than usual. But good news! I'm beginning work on the next chapter already, so hopefully it'll be up by the end of next month before uni starts again. I'll be looking at Tamako's "interrogation" session next, mwahahaha. Til then! (hearts)_


	5. Closer

Tamako made her way up to her classroom, her twin tails bouncing lightly against her shoulders as she ascended the stairs.

The warmth from Mochizou still lingered in her palm, and if she imagined hard enough, she could imagine his fingers gently coiling around hers and the weight of their hands swinging back and forth as they walked.

She bit on her bottom lip, trying to suppress the smile that kept bubbling up in her chest lest people began to stare. She'd never had that kind of thoughts before, but a lot of things had changed about her in the last few days...

When she eventually reached her classroom door, she hesitantly reached forward to slide it open. As usual, it moved aside with a clatter, signalling her entrance but not enough to disrupt the regular morning chatter. Her eyes casually swept across the classroom as always, until it landed on her group of friends.

Her body stiffened, realising they were all staring at her.

She jumped when her eyes met Midori's penetrating gaze. None of the usual "hello"s, no "good morning, Tamako"s. Just the three of her friends, leaning forward expectantly, waiting for her to share the news.

She bowed her head, avoiding eye contact with them as she walked to her seat at the back of the class. Her friends followed silently behind her, pulling chairs and tables closer so that she was surrounded before she could even sit down.

"Good morning, Tamako." Midori said.

"Good mor-"

"Want to fill us in on what happened yesterday?" she prompted, propping her head on one hand.

Tamako stared at her friend, feeling strangely hypnotised by her emerald green eyes and the way they seemed to see through her thoughts. Her eyes darted nervously to the space behind her friend, then at her own lap, the thumping of her heart ringing in her ears. She breathed in deeply before letting a few words slip.

"It… good…"

"What?" the three asked simultaneously while leaning closer. Shiori touched Tamako's shoulder gently in the process, causing her to flinch. She studied her fingernails intensely, trying to calm down her breathing in order to speak.

"I… I went to the train station yesterday…" she paused. "to see Mochizou."

They nodded, urging her to continue.

"I finally gave him a proper response." she said, her voice starting to calm down. "We talked about things… about him going to Tokyo, and about the future."

When she finally looked up at her friends, they were staring at her with shining eyes. Midori was sitting up straight now and wore a proud expression on her face. Kanna was just looking at her in complete awe.

She gulped. "And now, M-Mochizou and I are…" she faltered, then took in a deep breath. As she began to open her mouth, she was suddenly interrupted.

"Dating?" Shiori squeaked.

Tamako's head whipped around to look at her friend, her lips were moving to reaffirm the statement but the words caught in her throat. Midori and Kanna must have had similar reactions because Shiori immediately covered her face in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I was just excited." she apologised hastily.

"Shio-tan," Kanna interjected in an accusatory tone. "I thought we decided to let Tama-chan tell us herself."

"I'm sorry!" she repeated, peeping out from between her fingers at them. "Wait a minute, _-tan_?"

While Kanna shot her a cheeky look, Midori placed a hand on Tamako's shoulder, drawing the attention back to their twin-tailed friend. "We're happy for you, truly." she said.

Tamako smiled, her body relaxing.

"But if Ooji does anything to you, he'll have to hear from us." she added, her eyes lighting up evilly. The mochi lover's body instantly tensed up again while the other girls nodded in agreement. She didn't know _what _Mochizou could do to her, but she was already beginning to worry for him.

"Who would've thought that Tama-chan would be the first to be taken, though?" Kanna remarked, leaning casually against her chair.

"Right? I always thought it would be Midori-san." Shiori mused.

The girl in question jumped at the accusation, this time Tamako being the one to hold back her amusement."N-no way!" she protested loudly. "I m-mean, it was obvious that Tamako was going to get together with Ooji, right?" She shot Tamako an accusing look.

_But I didn't do anything!_, Tamako thought. "What about that person who confessed to you a few months ago, Midori-chan?" she shot back.

"I thought you all had forgotten-" she began, before clapping her hands over her mouth. "Forgot I said anything."

"Oya? Is Mido-chan hiding something from us?" Kanna piped up deviously.

The girl in question continued to protest, but it was only met with even more teasing and interrogation. But eventually, conversation still trickled back to Tamako's latest status update. As Midori relaxed in the corner, Tamako found herself forced to recount all the details of the day before.

Her voice was hesitant but surprisingly stable as she told the story, from the moment she called out his name to when he held her in her arms. Good thing her voice was mostly covered up by the pre-class noise, because if anyone else had heard it, she might've spontaneously combusted in embarrassment.

When the time finally came for their homeroom to begin, Tamako subconsciously sighed in relief as her friends grudgingly pulled away to their regular seats. Before that, they made her promise to continue during break, shooting sly glances at Mochizou whom had just slid into his seat next to her.

As the teacher began the roll call, Mochizou turned to her with confusion in his eyes, but it was only met with scarlet cheeks. She turned away immediately, trying to focus on the view outside instead of the thought that was currently prodding at her mind.

_Would it be stupid to say that the reality only hit me now? _

But as she dared a peek at her childhood friend, her other friends giving her obvious winks from behind his figure, she had to exert effort not to smile. Life was certainly going to be different now.

* * *

The sky was already bathed in hues of orange and pink when Mochizou and Tamako finally left for home. They had found themselves pushed towards each other at the school gates earlier, their friends mysteriously making disappearances.

After seeing that no one else was around, Mochizou reached for his girlfriend's hand. (_Girlfriend!_) Their fingers together desperately, almost embarrassingly fast. Nobody would have believed them if they claimed they hadn't been looking forward to it since morning.

A dopey smile began to form on his lips as he felt her hand in his. It was so dainty and fragile, her skin smooth and cool from the autumn air. Her face was turned away bashfully, but he could see a tinge of pink on her cheeks. He suspected his face might look the same too.

Conversation began with homework and tests, but eventually came around to their friends.

He recalled to her with embarrassment the way he had been interrogated, decidedly leaving out the part where he cried, but leaving in the other gritty details. "Not so daring, after all." she had commented, in between giggles.

And when he pushed for an explanation, she launched into the details of her own morning. He had thought it would be rough, considering the looks they had given him this morning and how fast they whisked her out of the classroom during break.

But looking at the way her eyes sparkled as she talked about them, maybe things weren't as bad as it seemed.

"And then, Midori-chan said that if you did anything to…" she was saying, when suddenly her pace began to slow down. She pointed one finger to the sight beyond them, and his eyes widened in wonder. "Mochizou, we're here."

The setting sun reflected against the water, staining it pink and gold like a watery sky; except instead of clouds, patches of light glimmered on the water's surface like sequins on a dress, shimmering slightly with every movement. The dark slabs of stone stood out more than usual, paving a road across the river goddess' sparkling dress.

_It looked just like it did that day._

Tamako let go of his hand, the sudden lack of warmth hitting him too suddenly. He gently closed his hand into a fist, walking to catch up with her as she skipped forward. Her twin tails were flying in the wind, and he felt this great swelling in his chest.

He put a kick into his step to match her pace, until he realised where she was going.

One stone by one stone, Tamako leaped across the cotton candy river. She stopped at the middle, her body arching a little as she took in a deep breath. Then, she turned around. Her face looked expectant as she stretched out one arm. _Join me_.

Mochizou placed his bag down next to hers. His body was buzzing with a strange sort of anticipation as he made his way to her.

When he was finally facing her, he took hold of her hand. It formed a small link across the two stones. Her warmth felt familiar and safe, and he couldn't help but think how different things were the last time they were here.

"Tamako-" he began.

"Mochizou, I'm sorry."

He froze, blinking a few times before he could manage a response. "What do you mean… Tamako?"

"I'm sorry about the way I reacted last time." she explained, averting her eyes. "I must have hurt you a lot, and I never apologised about it... I'm sorry." She turned her head up to look at him then, her blue irises shining as it reflected the light. Her eyebrows were furrowed in worry.

Mochizou instantly sighed in relief. He grasped her hand with both hands and squeezed tightly, causing her eyes to widen. "Apology accepted," he said, smiling. "and to be honest, you've already more than made up for it."

Her body seemed to relax after that, and her face changed into an expression he could only describe as adoration. He gulped. Did he even have the right to use that word?

He felt his resolve weaken as she looked at him abashedly. It was a look he was familiar with, one that he'd caught himself showing whenever she was around. To see it on Tamako, though, was a completely different ball game.

He let go of her then, lifting both his hands to cover his growing blush. "You make me so happy, Tamako, it's unfair." he murmured.

"What did you say, Mochizou?" She leaned forward suddenly.

Forgetting where he was, he instinctively moved backwards only to realise there _was_ no backwards. His foot skimmed the surface of the river, and at that moment, Tamako reached out and grabbed the mid-section of his uniform. With one foot firmly planted on his stone, she yanked his shirt as hard as she could, her other foot lifting off from her stone and the rest of her weight tumbling into Mochizou.

Before he could even digest it, he felt himself being pulled up, just as another weight was being thrown against his body. He wrapped his arms around it, his unstable side quickly grounding into the slab to form an open stance; this time so that the impact wouldn't throw him off the rock for good.

For a few moments, he stood there with a tight grip around Tamako, absorbing the shock. His knees were still slightly weak, and his heart was pounding from the adrenaline rush. Upon realising their compromising position, he loosened his grip immediately but she still held onto his shirt, her breaths shallow and quick.

"That was… a close… one…" she managed.

He nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

There was a moment of silence as they caught their breath, the only sound coming from the water running beneath them. It seemed a lot less peaceful after that scare, although now his heart was beating for reasons other than the fall.

_Too close_, he thought, wondering if Tamako even realised what she was doing to him right now; in public, no less. Yet, a part of him was memorising this moment. Her fist was pulling his uniform, her forehead resting gently on his chest. He gulped as he looked down at her head. It was so close, he could just…

Mochizou shook his head. No, this wasn't right. "Tamako, I think we should…" he began.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up.

Suddenly, he found himself staring right into her eyes. Their faces were only a few inches apart from each other, and all the things he could do began to form a list in his mind. (He would shame himself later for some of the things that appeared there.) But this time, it was Tamako who reacted first.

She jerked backwards instinctively, her whole face red. Her movement was too sudden, and she lost balance immediately. Mochizou reached out and grabbed her hand, just in time to steady her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded, her eyes fleeting to his before looking downwards shyly. "Y-yeah. I'm fine."

He observed at her blushing face, his grip on her hand feeling more awkward by the second. He let go, his finger moving up to scratch the side of his face.

"About just now, I-" he began explaining.

"W-what was…" she cut in loudly, before seemingly losing her nerve. "what was going to happen?" she mumbled quietly.

Mochizou felt his heart leap.

He felt like hugging her there and then, but his mind held him back. "I… well, maybe we would have… kissed." he said. The word felt funny on his tongue, but in a good way. Seeing her face get even redder, though, he immediately blurted out.

"B-but, of course, if you're not ready for that, I totally understand! I don't think I would be able to handle it either…" he trailed off embarrassedly.

"...I would be okay." she said it so softly, it almost escaped his ears.

Mochizou whipped his head back to the front. Her eyes were directed at him now, although her cheeks were still pink. He would think back to it again later, and wonder if he had imagined her lips parted and moving closer. Maybe it had just been him moving, placing his hand gently on her shoulder as he leaned downwards.

Their noses touched gently first, and more than anything else at the moment, he was hoping his hands weren't shaking.

"Hey, hey! Look at that onee-san and onii-san!" A voice travelled from the riverbank.

Their lips had just barely touched for a second before they sprang apart. Tamako's face had turned completely red, while Mochizou subconsciously moved his fingers to his lips. _Soft._

He was so in a daze that he barely registered his hand behind pulled by a panicked Tamako. "M-m-mochizou!" She exclaimed, looking around to see the group of kids gathering behind them. "W-we should go."

He blinked a few times before nodding, following behind her as she skipped deftly across the rocks. Once they reached the river bank, they grabbed their bags and began running; the funny looks the children gave them and the sound of them playing slowly carried away by the wind.

When they finally reached a stop far away enough, Tamako doubled over onto her knees panting. "Sorry, I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible." she said. When she looked up at his face, she suddenly stood straight up. "N-not because I didn't like that!" she exclaimed.

Mochizou stared at her, unsure how to reply. Catching his eye, she covered her face in embarrassment. "It was n-nice, I guess." her voice appeared muffled.

When she didn't get a response, Tamako raised her head tentatively, only to find him squatting on the floor with his head between his knees.

"Mochizou! Are you alright?" she exclaimed.

"Sorry Tamako, I don't think I can look at you right now."

"Huh?"

"I… I wouldn't be able to hold myself back." he mumbled.

Tamako's heart thumped loudly. _Somehow that was really embarrassing_, she thought, biting her lip. There was a brief period of silence, him unable to get ahold of himself and her not knowing what to do.

Then, Mochizou felt a light tapping on his head. He looked up to see her holding her hand out with her back facing him. "W-we have to go home eventually." she explained.

After a short pause, he took hold of her hand.

They walked that way for the rest of the journey. _Like a mother leading her child_, Tamako thought in amusement. When he wasn't looking, she took a peek at her childhood friend. His lips were twisted in a funny way, like he couldn't decide between happiness and frustration.

Suddenly, he turned back, jumping a little at their eye contact before averting his eyes again. "Let's do it properly next time, okay?" he said gruffly.

Tamako giggled. "Okay."

* * *

That night in Tama-ya, she lay on her bed, limbs stretched out across her bed, save for her fingers which were tracing her lips dreamily. The memories from today swam around her mind, creating tiny ripples of happiness in her consciousness.

From beyond the curtains, a voice called out. "Nee-chan, are you still awake?"

"Mm, what's wrong, Anko?"

"I just wanted to know… is there something going on between you and Mochizou?"

Tamako's body stiffened up. She hadn't been expecting this, especially from her sister.

"...Nothing. Why?"

"No reason, just curious."

As the bedroom fell back into silence, Tamako began to find it increasing difficult to fall asleep. One jarring thought disrupting the flow of the rest. Maybe, she should tell her soon.

* * *

A/N: I recently got in a lot of writing practice. And I mean, a _lot_. At one point, I had been doing nothing but writing; albeit more fan stuff for other fandoms, and not for After The Love Story (sorry, lol) but it really opened my eyes to improving my style. Considering one of my goals is to write an original, I don't know why I didn't begin this earlier. Anyway, if you have any criticism towards my writing or any things that I'm good at and should maintain, please leave a review! I'd love to hear some feedback. I also have quite a few things planned for this series, so stay tuned! (hearts)


	6. Even Closer

All of a sudden, Tamako and Mochizou were the centre of attention. News of their relationship status spread far and wide; to their classmates, baton club members, film club members, and even people they'd never spoken to before.

Some of those people would even approach Tamako to confirm this news, and more than anything else, it tested her. Never did she realise that she could endure so much embarrassment before. Although, to those close to her, it didn't seem like she was improving from this experience in any way.

Everytime she had to say the word "boyfriend", she would still crumple into a blushing mess. This would sometimes be followed up by more questions about their relationship, which only made things worse.

At least it was fun for Midori and Kanna to watch.

The only times Tamako could catch a breath, ironically, was when she was spending time with Mochizou. Even though their relationship had changed so much in name, their years of being together had given them a bubble of comfort safe from everything else.

Though, sometimes Tamako's eyes would linger too long on Mochizou's lips, or stray to his forearms...

Seriously, she wondered if she was becoming a bit too perverted. It was all because of that day at the river! She couldn't forget about it, and probably, Mochizou couldn't either, but they hadn't found any time to talk about it.

He still had to retake his entrance exams and Tamako kept insisting that he focus on it first as she was the reason why he missed it the first time round. At the same time, there was this itchy feeling at the back of her mind, as if she had forgotten something. Not to mention the issue with Anko…

Sighing, Tamako lowered her head onto the table with a thud. She was beginning to wonder if she'd dug herself into this hole.

"You okay?" A gentle voice reached her ears amidst the quiet of the library. She turned her head slightly, peeking at the boy sitting in front of her.

"Mn, all okay." she mumbled, before returning to her original position.

"Well, I'm almost done and it's getting late. You think we should start walking home?" Mochizou suggested. Before listening for her answer, she heard him begin packing up their stationery and books. She lifted her head groggily, her eyes squinting at the setting sun's glare.

"I didn't study much…" she mumbled regretfully, her eyes following him as he walked to her side. He took her hand in his and tugged lightly.

"I know." he laughed softly. "Well, you always have the day after today, and the day after that, and the day after that…" he dragged on needlessly. His voice became louder as they exited the library. "Not like me. I only have one more day." he noted with a tone of misery.

"But you know what day is coming after that?" Tamako asked, settling into a steady pace beside him.

"My birthd-"

"Mochi day!" she exclaimed in excitement. Only after that did she turn to wink at him and added, "Oh, and of course, your birthday."

He pouted and squeezed her hand tightly, causing her to squeak.

"What was that for?!" she exclaimed.

"Revenge." he taunted, sticking out his tongue. "Don't forget we're celebrating my birthday together this year."

Tamako hummed, already lost in thought. "I still don't know how to ask my father, though." She looked down at their interlocked fingers, thinking about how they had to hide it again once they neared home.

"We'll have to tell them soon." Mochizou noted quietly, as if reading her mind. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "Then, maybe, we can have more time to ourselves…" he said so smoothly, even though his face was all red.

Tamako let go of his hand, flustered. "You're so embarrassing, Mochizou!" She covered her cheeks with her hands, but his warmth still lingered on them, making her even more jumpy.

Mochizou looked away from her and muttered quietly. "I can't help it… everything is so new to me, I feel like if I don't savour it, it'll all disappear one day."

They locked eyes at that moment. Tamako tried to think of something good to respond, but her thoughts were quickly interrupted by a familiar voice. "Mochizou, Tamako! Just coming home from school?"

Faces still pink, they turned around to see one of the shopping district residents - the lady from the flower shop. "Yes, we are!" Mochizou answered in their stead, his fingers ruffling through his hair guiltily.

"You two, always so cute together! Well, I'll see you later!" she called out, riding past them in her bike.

As she turned out of sight, Mochizou and Tamako looked at each other. "Do you think she saw-" "What do you think she meant-" They begin questioning at the same time.

"No… I don't think she could've. We weren't even… ngahh." Mochizou bit his lip in frustration.

Tamako took in a large breath. "After your exams. After that we'll stop hiding." she said with certainty, despite being heavily uncertain.

He responded by squeezing her hand, gently this time. "Don't be afraid." he reassured her. "I'm sure things will turn out fine." At that point, he let go, head gesturing at the entrance of the shopping district drawing closer.

Part of Tamako hoped that day would come sooner.

* * *

Turns out she didn't have to wait very long. Before they knew it, Mochi Day was already upon them. Mochizou's entrance exam went off without a hitch, and they begun thinking up ways to celebrate both the end of his exams and his turning of age.

But they couldn't do much planning after all; their time was swallowed up by furious Mochi Day preparations and increasing paternal rivalry. Even the times they could meet were limited.

And so, on the dawn of Mochi Day, Mochizou found every reason to be at Tama-ya, whether it be moving the mortar or carrying trays. But he couldn't find much solace under the roof of a man who didn't seem to want his help.

"I'm still young enough to carry this by myself. We don't need your help." Mamedai repeated in different iterations, despite his own father at the back, urging the teen to continue.

This went on for a few cycles, until Mochizou accidentally let the title "Father…" slip. It was instantly followed up by the regular series of denials and half-insults, although this time, it stung a little more than usual.

He was already beginning to think that coming out to her father would be even harder than convincing his father to let him go to Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Tamako in her early morning daze, wondered; even though they'd been talking the night before, today felt different. Maybe it was the specialness of the occasion, but she found it difficult to keep her eyes off him.

All these years, she just never really realised how cute and kind and how good he looked in that sweater… or maybe she did, but it was never evident. It was as if she woke up this morning wearing rose-coloured glasses; everything about Mochizou was sparkling to her right now. She almost wanted to go and give him a huge hug, at the expense of her father's sanity.

She then shook her head harshly, gaining a weird stare from Anko. _These kind of thoughts are too dangerous_, she reprimanded herself. They hadn't even decided how to break the news to him yet.

She turned to look at her father who was grumbling about something or other. To be completely honest, even the thought of telling him made her stomach flip. Even though he always meant well, he never showed much affection for Mochizou before…

She sighed this time, thinking about how much more stressful her life had become suddenly. At that moment, the boy in question decided to walk past her, petting her on the head before sending her a quick wink. Her heartbeat instantly quickened.

She hid her burning cheeks in her hands, suddenly thinking that stressful wasn't too bad.

"You know, if you guys are so obvious, even father is going to pick up on it." A voice piped up. Tamako jumped, her eyes searching wildly before finally landing on her sister behind her.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Of course I mean you and Mochizou." Anko said smoothly, albeit slightly red-faced. "You two are dating, right?"

Tamako began to respond, but all that came out of her mouth were broken words and stuttering. That seemed to be enough of a response for her sister, though, who responded "You don't have to tell me anything. I was just commenting, alright?"

At that, she wandered off, leaving Tamako speechless in her wake. Before the older sister could even consider pursuing that comment, her father had called for them; the day's events were finally beginning.

* * *

Tamako hadn't missed a single Mochi Day since she was born. Just like how some people had New Years Eve or Christmas traditions, hers was always Mochi Day.

The preparations were never different from every other day; sacks on sacks of rice would be soaked and steamed overnight then pounded until it turned into paste. Except instead of using the pounding machinery in the kitchen, her father would set their traditional mortar and mallet outside the shop.

Being the only two dedicated mochi shops in the area, the day would draw customers from all around. The rhythmic "Pettan! Pettan!" of the mochi pounding gained shouts of encouragement and awe from people of all ages. Most of all, Tamako liked watching the children who would jump in shock each time the wooden mallet whacked into the mortar. The wonder in their eyes reminded her of her own childhood that seemed so far away now.

In recent years, she and Anko have been managing the sales portion while their father took on the pounding job, or what it seemed more like, a heated competition between him and Mochizou's father.

At one point, the latter even dragged Mochizou into the competition, much to his obvious discomfort. Between his father yelling at him to "put more muscle into it" and Tamako's father glaring at him at all times, he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

She almost felt like laughing when he made a particularly exaggerated expression, but with Anko beside her, the light animosity from that morning still hovering in the air, the older one didn't dare.

With the constant stream of customers, she never got the chance to bring the confrontation up again. Not even when the sky began to darken and the number of people dwindled. Everyone became busy with packing up in time for dinner and rest.

Just as she was about to take her own leave, Mochizou's mother called out to her. Tamako's eyes widened before she took off quickly.

Her footsteps light and the street lights shining on her back. Her eyes took in the familiar scenery of shops closing up; the clatter of shutters closing and moving crates masking the leisurely conversation held between shopkeepers. Today was quieter than usual; Mochi Day was good business, but it was tiring for everyone.

Still, her footsteps sounded loud to her. _Pat pat pat pat_, it went energetically, as if her limbs weren't already aching from a whole day's worth of work. Maybe it was because she was going to see him. No, definitely, it was because she was going to see him.

Perhaps it was because of what Anko said earlier, but Tamako was filled with more longing than usual.

She finally found Mochizou standing at the mouth of the alleyway, sleeves rolled up and brushing back his fringe. When he saw her, his whole face lit up.

"Tamak- unf!" he exclaimed as she tackled him in embrace.

_A boy's scent_, Tamako thought embarrassedly, realising his sweat from the long day of work hadn't dried yet. Mochizou, belatedly realising that, backed off quickly. "I'm dirty right now. I should go take a bath first…" he excused himself bashfully, unwinding her hands from around him.

"But-" she protested, out of character.

Mochizou stared at her for a moment. One hand still holding hers, he used his other fingers to brush away her fringe tenderly. "But what?" he asked teasingly. Tamako felt an electric current go through her body. She turned away in embarrassment.

"T-that's unfair, Mochizou." she muttered quietly.

She felt a gentle pressure on her forehead as he sighed. "I missed you today." he whispered. She looked up, eyes just barely registering the blush on his cheeks. It was getting dark out, their united silhouette conveniently concealed from the main street.

"I missed you too." she admitted softly. "It seems like I can't focus at all lately. Today Anko told me things and there's still my father and-"

"Shhhh, we can talk about that later. Let's just… For now…" he trailed off, eyes locked onto hers. She was quickly becoming short of breath, and not only because she had been running.

What Tamako remembered after that were a blur of sensations. The warmth of his fingers on her chin. His quivering lips. Her dry throat.

Her kissed her gently at first, then deeper, with a quiet intensity that made Tamako feel quite faint. All other thoughts flew out of her brain, replaced with how good… how right this felt.

Suddenly, a loud crash that went off in the distance, causing them to spring apart from each other. Tamako stood there with parted lips, the cold wind hitting her mouth. Her heart was still racing from what just went down.

"I'm sorry. I just... something came over me and I couldn't..." he mumbled, eyes averted. His earlier boldness was completely lost in realisation of his actions. He couldn't even look her in the eye now. Meanwhile, Tamako was realising something very bad.

"Ack- how could I forget?!" she exclaimed. "We need to go!"

"Go where-" Mochizou was cut off as Tamako grabbed hold of his hand and started running.

* * *

Author's Note: Hello! Sorry for the _extremely late_ update. Haven't really had much time to sit down and write for this fic in the past few months, although that should change a little once my current semester of uni is done. I probably won't be updating very frequently even then, but I definitely won't leave you out of the loop for another 6 months, that's for sure! ... Sorry about that. I definitely intend to finish this fic, so I hope you'll stick around? See you next time! (hearts)


	7. Birthday Night

Mochizou was running. He didn't know why or what for, except that the girl he loved was dragging him along and he had no reason to refuse. To be completely honest, he wasn't even really thinking about what he was doing right now. His brain had stopped registering much else after their lips had touched in that dark alleyway.

He really meant what he said; he didn't know what came over him. After such a long day, he had wanted nothing more than to touch her. It sounded like a pervert's comment, he realised, but at that moment, his will had been weak. How ironic that after years of patience, all it took was a few hours for him to completely lose himself to her, dignity and all.

And that kiss! If he had the sense at the time to pick a better location, he would have. Preferably one where they weren't ten feet away from a dumpster. All those picture perfect moments he'd dreamt up over the years, shattered in a few quick minutes.

But he couldn't wind back time. That would be moment of his first kiss, forever now. In fact, a part of him was still convinced he was deluding himself and that this was all a dream. But it seemed like it really did happen. And oh lord, he wanted to do it again.

Not right now, though. They were still running and… why were they running again?

At that thought, the world around him quieted into a hush. He started to realise how unusually still the shopping district was tonight, even after a busy day like Mochi Day. Almost all the shops' lights were out, and nobody was walking around. Even Tama-ya's was eerily quiet, and so was… his?

He looked on, perplexed, as Tamako led him right to his front door. She opened it slightly before pushing him through the entrance, then everything happened at once.

"Surprise! Happy birthday, Mochizou!" A chorus of cheers greeted his ears while sounds of confetti poppers went off beside him.

He blinked slowly. For a moment, he was speechless. In the darkness, his eyes began to register the faces of everyone he knew and loved. So many people from the shopping district, and right in the centre, there were his parents. Their faces were illuminated by a few candles on – what else could it be? – a mochi-shaped cake.

He pointed at it, still in a daze. "Is this… for me?"

Laughter echoed through the small crowd that had gathered. His father laughed the loudest. "If it's not for you, son, then who else could it be for?"

Mochizou grinned and blushed at the same time. He locked eyes with his mother, who gestured to the cake. "If you don't blow them out soon, the candles are going to eat the cake instead." She smiled back at him. "Make a wish."

Feeling everyone's eyes on him, he leaned closer to the light. He stared at the dancing flame, trying to find a wish to make before he felt Tamako's hand, still warm in his.

He closed his eyes then, and blew the candles out. He didn't have to think so hard; he already had everything he could possibly wish for.

* * *

It had been a long day, so nobody stayed for long. He couldn't blame them. With all the adrenaline finally beginning to leave his system, his own body felt like it was about to give out.

After bidding good night to the last guest, Mochizou began to make the climb up to his room, but not before catching his mother in the kitchen, still cleaning up the last few plates. "Let me do it, mum." he offered, coming up behind her. She stepped aside gratefully, leaning against the counter to watch him work instead.

For awhile, the only sounds were the water slushing in the sink and glass clinking. Mother and son stood in the kitchen, both quiet and tired, but content. "So, whose idea was it?" Mochizou asked after awhile, glancing at her.

After a moment's hesitation, she replied. "Well, it was mine, but Tamako helped."

"Oh." he answered quietly, unable to keep a smile from forming on his lips. He decided, instead, to focus on cleaning off a particularly stubborn stain. He didn't catch, or perhaps chose to ignore, his mother's amused glances.

"I assume… I made the right decision to send Tamako to find you, after all?" she probed.

Immediately, he let a plate slip, making a loud clank. They make eye contact before Mochizou broke contact, choosing to examine the plate in false concern. "Well, it's not broken." he murmured to himself.

"You can't hide from your mother forever, Mochizou."

They relapsed back into silence; him beginning to arrange the plates neatly to dry, while his mother stood in silence, unwilling to give way until she got a reply. After stacking the last plate, he finally looked at her pleadingly. "M-maybe we can talk about this tomorrow?" he offered, inching his way out of the kitchen as he spoke.

His mother tapped the imaginary clock on her wrist. "Well, according to my clock, it already _is _tomorrow."

Suddenly, Mochizou felt a pair of arms circle his waist and lift him back into the kitchen. He yelled in shock, struggling for a moment before realising it was futile; his father may be older, but he had strength and physique that easily doubled his son's.

"So, what is this confession that I hear is about to happen?" the older man asked, finally putting the struggling birthday boy down. He positioned himself in the middle of the kitchen entrance, leaving his son to lose all hope in ever escaping his devious parents' grasp. Meanwhile, Gohei Ooji winked at his wife in triumph.

Mochizou groaned audibly. Trust his parents to come up with some weird plan like this. Did he even have a choice in this family?

He pulled out the nearest chair and slumped in it decidedly. "What do you want to know?" he asked, hugging the back of the chair in protection.

Without hesitating, his father brought up one hand. "Well, a few things. (1) Whether you and Tamako are dating, (2) How far you two have gone behind our backs, (3) When you're deciding to get married, (4) Whether you'll inherit our store or that idiot Mamedai—"

"Honey, stop." Mochizou's mother interrupted. "Look, you're going to kill him before he can answer anything." She gestured at her son, practically melting in his seat out of embarrassment.

"I'll… I'll only answer the first question." He managed to get out. All the adrenaline from earlier was already beginning to rush back into his body. "The answer…" he paused for dramatic effect, watching both his parents' eyes on him, "… is yes."

He stood up, immediately bolting out of the kitchen as his parents faltered from his unexpectedly direct, but unsurprising answer. He managed to make it up to his room before his parents could follow up on questions 2, 3, and 4, but not before hearing an exchange of high fives and 'I told you so's occur.

With the door firmly closed between them, Mochizou collapsed onto his bed panting heavily. He wondered if it was too rude of him to excuse himself like that, but then remembered what question 2 was going to be. At that, he felt some energy spring back into him, but this time, for the wrong reasons.

He groaned, burying his face in his pillow. The sound of his heart was deafeningly loud now that he was finally alone. Yet, despite it all, he couldn't stop smiling. "What a birthday." he mumbled.

* * *

That night, Tamako had a weird dream. She dreamt she was tiny, no bigger than the size of a mochi. She could tell as much because she was standing right in front of Anko's sleeping face. Her eyes, nose, and everything else, which was usually so small, had suddenly grown way bigger.

Tamako felt like, if she wasn't careful, Anko could easily roll over and squash her without noticing. She didn't know why she even had the thought, but it made her feel wary.

As her sister breathed in and out, she felt the air around her swirl. The dress she was wearing – was it white? – shifted against her thighs. She didn't even know she was ticklish there, but she needed to move or Anko had to stop.

She tapped her sister on the nose. It couldn't have caused more than a small itch, yet it caused the larger girl to wake up. Tamako was so startled, she fell on her behind. Meanwhile, Anko looked at her as if a miniature Tamako was the most natural thing in the world.

"Good morning, little sister." she said. The words sounded weird coming from her mouth; Tamako didn't respond.

"You're quiet today. What's wrong?" she asked. She waited for a moment, but seeing there was no response, she placed her palms out towards Tamako. The small girl found herself climbing on instinctively.

The next thing she knows, they're facing a dresser. One far fancier and far more… pink than the one she knew in real life. There, Anko began to pull open drawer after drawer. Tamako took a peek at their contents but all she saw were pencils and brushes.

She continued watching as Anko began to methodically use them on her face. Her hands were practiced and swift, but Tamako felt weird. Even in her dream, the things she wore looked out of place. Like a small child trying to dress up like her mother.

"How do I look?" she asked, leaning down to let the smaller one see. The latter nodded silently and Anko seemed satisfied enough. "That's good. I'm going for a date with _ today, y'see. I really want him to like me."

_? Where has she heard that name before? Tamako didn't know how to respond to that.

Meanwhile, Anko was already beginning to pack up. "I'm sorry I can't listen to your troubles today, little sister." she said, patting the little girl's head with her finger. "Hopefully when I'm back from my date, you'll be ready to share with me."

All of a sudden, someone began to knock at the door. "Oh no, he's here!" she exclaimed, softly but urgently. She quickly pulled open a drawer and dropped Tamako in it. "Stay here, I'll let you out once he's gone." she instructed.

Tamako wobbled on her feet as the floor beneath her shifted and her surroundings vanished into darkness.

She heard Anko's voice and another man's voice. Was it her father? She tried to go closer to the source of the sound to get a better listen, but kept tripping over things on the way. First it was something round and then something else with corners; it was too dark to tell.

Until, a shadow left and revealed a slit of light that Anko must have left for her. The light was dim, but it was just enough to make out two round spheres that glinted pink and blue.

Tamako felt her heart jolt, but she wasn't sure why. Without any other objective in place, she felt drawn to the mysterious orbs. Stumbling, making her way towards them, Anko's and the man's voice also increased in volume. Then the latter stopped talking.

She felt the floor beneath her shift again. She tripped, this time catapulting her towards the two beads. She felt her head come into contact with one of them, and she felt herself disappear.

"Where are you, little sister?" Anko asked. Her voice sounded distant now. Tamako could hear the sound of her rummaging through her drawer.

"I don't know, Anko." she replied for the first time. Her voice sounded weirdly airy to her ears. "Where am I?"

Tamako waited, but there was no answer.

* * *

_A/N: I promised I would be back before 6 months, and here I am! I feel like my writing style changes every time I sit down and write a new chapter. Sigh, consistency is not my forte. Still hope you like this chapter, though! Next one should be out sometime early January. Until then, my lovelies (hearts)_


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